Many buildings include mechanical and electrical units located in elevated locations, such as on rooftops or on sides of building. For example, a large commercial building may include a number of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units, communication units, or other mechanical/electrical units that are located on the exterior of the building. These units often include access panels that enable workers to perform installations, upgrades, maintenance, or other work on an interior of the unit. In some instances, the access panels are elevated above the ground or a floor (rooftop, etc.) and difficult to reach without additional tools or supplies.
In some locations, elevated units may be located within a close proximity to one another leaving little or no additional room for fixed elevated platforms that may be used to access the units. As a result, workers often have to supply a portable ladder to access the units. In some instances, the workers may have to carry the ladders to the location of the unit, such as from the worker's vehicle, which may be time consuming and difficult.
Mechanical/electrical units may be expensive. Often these units include latched access panels to prevent unwanted access to the units. However, the access panels have limited ability to prevent unwanted access to the units.